People

Igor is interested in epidemiology of infectious diseases, both in humans and animals. He has experience with the epidemiology of human leptospirosis and arboviral circulation in an urban setting of a developing country. His current research projects include 1) the forecast of PRRS/PED occurrence in American swine farms and 2) finding epidemiological patterns of the occurrence of similar co-circulating strains of PRRS in the US.

ipaplosk@umn.edu 

Igor's Website

Nakarin is interested in pathogen evolution, especially viruses causing infectious diseases in livestock. His early work explored the global macroevolutionary history of the Foot-and-Mouth disease virus. During his PhD, he focused on PRRSV evolution and epidemiology in the U.S. swine industry at various scales, from regional to national, by integrating bioinformatic and epidemiologic approaches.

His current research projects have expanded to include other viral species and new techniques, such as:

1. Quantitatively and qualitatively measuring the dynamics of viral quasispecies in various viruses.

2. Tracking the spread pattern of turkey reovirus via phylodynamic approach.

3. Utilizing machine learning models to improve the prediction of PRRSV emergence.

4. Estimating phenotypic changes of PRRSV epitopes using structural bioinformatics.

pamor001@umn.edu 

João's scientific interests are related to ecology and virus evolution. Specifically, he focuses on the population biology of viral populations and understanding the relative contributions of evolutionary mechanisms that shape population structure patterns. He has experience with the temporal dynamics of Begomoviruses community in natural landscapes, as well as the taxonomy and classification of viruses in the Cressdnaviricota phylum. His current research includes Long-term evolutionary dynamics of PEDV and Space-time dynamics of PRRSV in the United States. 

herre466@umn.edu 

Julia Baker is a dual DVM-PhD candidate at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. She has a background in Biochemistry studying antibiotic resistant bacterial enzymes, has previously worked in extramural research programs at the National Human Genome Research Institute, and has completed all pre-clinical DVM training. Her current PhD work focuses on the evolution of PRRSV, including 1) evolution at B-cell epitopes, 2) clinical rebreaks on sow farms, and 3) evolution and conservation of T-cell epitopes. In her free time she enjoys rock climbing, swimming, and cooking fun recipes.

bake0831@umn.edu 

Dennis's research interests include using molecular tools, applied-epidemiology and One-Health concepts to enhance decision making in addressing threats and challenges in communities. His current research employs statistical & phylodynamic modelling and machine learning techniques to understand the epidemiology of porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome virus (PRRSV), anti-microbial resistance (AMR) in animal populations, and contact networks/animal movements. His research outputs support resilient and sustainable livelihoods through data-driven decisions for strategic interventions and policy development.

dmakau@umn.edu 

Liz's research focuses on the epidemiology of bacterial antimicrobial resistance at the wildlife-livestock interface. Her current research projects include 1) using metagenomic sequencing to understand the role anthropogenic sources may play in the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance genes wild raptors and 2) assessing the role giraffe social behavior plays in the acquisition and maintenance of resistant commensal E. coli. Other research interests include animal behavior, the microbiome, and wildlife disease ecology.

millere@umn.edu 

kanan009@umn.edu 

Anna is interested in the epidemiology of infectious diseases of livestock, primarily diseases which disproportionately affect developing countries. Her current research is focused on exploring the epidemiology of foot and mouth disease among cattle in Uganda using regression, machine learning, and phylogenetic methods.

Trevor is a disease, ecosystem, and quantitative ecologist. His research focuses broadly on within-host community ecology and the role of infection in host behavior and physiology. Trevor employs a variety of field, laboratory, and modelling approaches to better understand the transmission and ecological importance of disease across biological scales.

vanna006@umn.edu 

Trevor's website

Umanga is interested in infectious disease epidemiology. Her current research revolves around characterizing challenges and elucidating the epidemiology of foot-and-mouth disease in endemic settings in Asia, mainly focusing on Vietnam and India. This includes identifying high risk areas and risk factors for the disease using Bayesian spatial temporal models and the spatial temporal changes of the FMD virus with Bayesian phylogenetic data analysis. Her previous work was on utilizing regression analysis and participatory methods to identify the risk factors of foot and mouth Disease in Sri Lanka.

gunas015@umn.edu 

As a Graduate Research assistant, Rahul is working on predicting the outbreak of PRRS and PED virus in  sow farms. He works with our team to formulate prediction questions as a spatiotemporal network node classification problem where  spatial environmental factors and the movements of herds between farms are used to predict outbreaks. Before pursuing his masters, Rahul holds some work experience in the startup industry culture. His area of work includes Deep Learning, Machine Learning, SpatioTemporal Data Mining and Artificial Intelligence. His hobbies include playing badminton, Theatre acting, Beatboxing and riding his motorcycle.

bhojw005@umn.edu